Bahmani madrasa, Bidar
Also called: Mahmud Gawan madrasa · Topic: Vijayanagara and the Deccan · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bahmani madrasa at Bidar is a large college built by Mahmud Gawan, the chief minister of the Bahmani Sultanate. A madrasa is a school for higher learning. This one was built in the Persian style and had three storeys. It had a big library, rooms for teachers and hostels for students. Its outer walls were once covered with bright glazed (shiny, coloured) tiles. It shows that the Deccan was a centre of Persian learning in the 15th century.
Example
Mahmud Gawan built the madrasa at Bidar in 1472. It drew scholars from Iran and Iraq. Today only part of it stands, but traces of the coloured tiles can still be seen on its minaret.
Don't confuse with
- Gol Gumbaz: this is a tomb with a huge dome at Bijapur, built by the Adil Shahis. It is not a college, and it is not at Bidar.
Related concepts
- Vijayanagara Empire
- Harihara and Bukka
- Vidyaranya
- Bahmani Sultanate
- Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah
- Afaqis and Dakhnis
- Mahmud Gawan
- Deccan sultanates
- Adil Shahi dynasty
- Ibrahim Adil Shah II